Gangtok, the capital of the mountainous Indian state Sikkim, which was an independent kingdom ruled by chogyals until 1975. Getty Images
Gangtok, the capital of the mountainous Indian state Sikkim, which was an independent kingdom ruled by chogyals until 1975. Getty Images
Gangtok, the capital of the mountainous Indian state Sikkim, which was an independent kingdom ruled by chogyals until 1975. Getty Images
Gangtok, the capital of the mountainous Indian state Sikkim, which was an independent kingdom ruled by chogyals until 1975. Getty Images

My Kind of Place: Gangtok, Sikkim, India


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Why Gangtok?

Wedged between Tibet to the north, Nepal to the west and Bhutan to the east, Sikkim is an isolated little Indian state high in the Himalayas. Until as recently as 1975, it was an independent kingdom, ruled by chogyals (kings) since the mid-17th century. Dominated by Kanchenjunga – the world’s third-highest mountain, at 8,586 metres – the state is defined by its rugged terrain, lofty peaks and mountaintop monasteries. With a rich ethnic fabric comprising Lepchas, Sikkim’s original inhabitants, Bhutias of Tibetan descent, and various Nepali communities, Sikkim is a unique blend of languages, cuisines and customs.

For many, the state’s allure lies in its magnificent high-altitude treks. For others, the draw lies in natural vistas and the charm of a relatively offbeat Indian experience. Either way, Gangtok, the capital in the south-east, is a good base to start your explorations. While it’s a modern city, with trendy cafes and fashion-forward locals, age-old customs still prevail. Guests are welcomed with traditional khada (silk scarves) and often cups of salty butter tea.

It’s easy to spend a few days in the fast-expanding, cosmopolitan city, delving into its Tibetan roots, walking the pedestrianised promenades and sampling the unique blend of cuisines. Foreigners need a restricted area permit to visit, which can be obtained online.

A comfortable bed

Set on a hill with gardens overlooking the sports stadium, the opulent Elgin Nor-Khill was formerly the royal guesthouse of the chogyal, built in 1932 to house visiting dignitaries and heads of state. With decadent furnishings and a grand marble lobby crammed with curios from the royal household, the heritage property retains much of its stately charm. Rooms are in traditional Sikkimese style, with teak flooring and views of the mountain range. Double rooms cost from 9,450 rupees (Dh518).

Netuk House is in the midst of the action, a stone's throw from the busy MG Marg street. The family home of the Denzongpas, prominent advisers to the former chogyal, the boutique hotel offers a homely experience in a luxurious setting. Bhutia furniture, intricately painted balconies in traditional Sikkimese style, old family portraits and a rustic wooden dining area with home-cooked meals lend an ethnic touch. On a clear day, Kanchenjunga is visible from the expansive terrace. Doubles cost from 4,500 rupees (Dh247).

Find your feet

Sikkim’s history is chequered with stories of monks, kings and communities. To get your bearings and understand the culture, head to the Institute of Tibetology – a museum housing relics including intricate thangkas (paintings), weapons and scrolls. An informative timeline traces the history of the chogyals from Phuntsok Namgyal, the first king, and gives background on the Bhutia and Lepcha. Farther down the road is the Do-Drul Chorten – an impressive whitewashed stupa with a gilded tower.

Meet the locals

At MG Marg, a popular pedestrianised stretch in the town centre that’s the main shopping area, locals and tourists congregate to dine, meet friends, shop, people-watch and enjoy the crisp mountain air. Shops selling trendy fashions stand alongside stalls with traditional Tibetan garments; bright cafes draw young locals, while tourists prefer to frequent traditional restaurants for local Tibetan and Nepali fare. Get a window table at a coffee shop – Baker’s Café is a good choice – and observe life.

Book a table

While momos, thukpa and Chinese cuisine are ubiquitous, experiment with unique local flavours. Tangerine at the Chumbi Residency is a nice spot for dinner, with vermilion interiors, warm lights and wooden furnishings. The cuisine includes rare Sikkimese specialities such as nettle stew and fresh bamboo shoots cooked in local spices, along with Chinese and Indian fare. A meal for two costs about 800 rupees (Dh44).

Nepali and Sikkimese set meals with rice, vegetables, meat curry, lentils and pickles are best at Absolute Demazong (Hungry Jack Complex), a large restaurant with cane interiors known for its local food. Bhutanese dishes such as datshi are also on the menu, along with Tibetan and Chinese options. Start with the momos, which come with a variety of fillings. Set meals cost 500 rupees (Dh27).

For a laid-back coffee, The Coffee Shop, in New Market just off MG Marg, is a brightly lit cafe with a balcony overlooking the street. There are Italian items on the menu, along with a range of all-day breakfasts to cater to different tastes, including local options. A meal costs 500 rupees (Dh27).

Shopper’s paradise

MG Marg and the adjoining New Market are crammed full of curio shops selling paintings, woodcarvings and delicately patterned crockery. For handicrafts, head to the Handloom and Handicraft Emporium, where you will find carpets, handwoven fabrics and other traditional items. You can also visit the workshops to see artisans at work.

What to avoid

Monsoon season, from July to September, is best avoided.

Don’t miss

Rumtek Monastery is among Sikkim’s largest, about an hour’s drive from Gangtok. Set in a large compound, the daily rituals include monks chanting, and are open to visitors.

Go there

Jet Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Bagdogra, via New Delhi, from Dh2,163 return. From Bagdogra, it's a four-hour drive to Gangtok.

Andor
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The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%20Twin-turbocharged%204-litre%20V8%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20625%20bhp%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20630Nm%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh974%2C011%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Disability on screen

Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues

24: Legacy — PTSD;

Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound

Taken and This Is Us — cancer

Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)

Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg

Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety

Switched at Birth — deafness

One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy

Dragons — double amputee

Racecard

6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m

7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m

8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m

9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m

10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m

The National selections: 6.30pm: RM Lam Tara, 7.05pm: Al Mukhtar Star, 7.40pm: Bochart, 8.15pm: Magic Lily, 8.50pm: Roulston Scar, 9.25pm: Quip, 10pm: Jalmoud

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Persuasion
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Stormy seas

Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.

We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice. 

WHAT IS GRAPHENE?

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. 

PROFILE OF INVYGO

Started: 2018

Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo

Based: Dubai

Sector: Transport

Size: 9 employees

Investment: $1,275,000

Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEjari%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYazeed%20Al%20Shamsi%2C%20Fahad%20Albedah%2C%20Mohammed%20Alkhelewy%20and%20Khalid%20Almunif%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESanabil%20500%20Mena%2C%20Hambro%20Perks'%20Oryx%20Fund%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.